Rumor & Innuendo

The Boobie Effect. That LeBron James broke 11 on the superduperüberstar meter ain’t the real NBA story. What was it, three games into his kindergarten season that observers called him the next Jordan? The inevitable happened in Game 5 of the Eastern Finals when he beat the formerly formidable Pistons fair and square one on five. Now, what Daniel “Boobie” Gibson did in the conference final clincher is another matter. The former Texas Hook-’Em-Horn went 5 for 5 from “downtown,” as our favorite lingerie-wearing sportscaster Marv Albert would say. There’s a story. And it proves again what a great assessor of talent, if not great coach, Rick Barnes happens to be.

Loserville. My birthburg Detroit hasn’t had the best sports spring. The Red Wings choked in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Pistons laid down in the same conference final round, different sport. And the Tigers gave up 7 in the final two innings last week, losing to the Tribe for the fifth straight time, before snagging two in Cleveland to end the series on the uptick.

The Championship. The Spurs win in five. And, may I repeat, the Phoenix Suns got hosed. Big time.

The Jai Syndrome.Patrick Patterson told you so, Jai Lucas. Billy the Kid was likely to steal away from UFla. Then again, maybe not. The Cats might have come out smelling sweet with a new point guard. Uh, not so fast. But riddle me this. Why would any of the Golden Arches All-Americans, the kids sure to be welcome just about anywhere they choose, ever sign a Letter of Intent? Makes no sense. If any recruit is inclined to ink one, he/she should strike out provisions that chain them to the school even if the coach leaves. What school would balk at that?How peachy in Georgia now, Bobby P? Ah the sublime life — coaching in the NFL. Yo, Mr. Steal-Away-In-The-Middle-Of-The-Night-To-Coach-In-The-Pros-Where-You-Don’t-Have-To-Worry-About-Recruiting-And-Grades-Petrino, how does it feel down in Atlanta now? The linchpin of your team, the guy you need to lead your squad to the promised land, looks like he’s about to be indicted for his off-the-field hobby: major league dog fighting.